jenes



.(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. M. J ENKS. STEAM TIGHT GOUPLER.

No. 404,710. atentedJune 4, 1889.1

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2. T. M. JENKS.

' STEAM TIGHT COUPLER. Y

No. 404,710. Patented June 4, 1889.`

xhogmpner, whingim uA c.

T. M. JENKS. STEAM TIGHT GOUPLBR.

' sweets-sheets.

(No' Model.)

No. 404,710. Patenwdgune 4,1889.

wmjmhh N. .PETERS Phmuuwmphr. mamma". uc,

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. JENKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE JENKS RAILVAY CAR SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-TIGHT COUPLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,710, dated June 4, 1889.

Application i'lled June 4, 1888. Serial No. 276,025. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. JENKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Tight Couplers, of which the tllowing is a specification.

My invention relates to couplers for steampipes; and its object is to provide a means of communication between diieren't sect-ions oi steam-pipe. It will be found especially useful in connect-ing the sections of hose secured between cars on pipe used in heating railwaycars by steam.

My present invention consists of improvements upon a coupler hitherto patented to nie-to wit, by Letters Patent No. 381,247, dated April 17, 1SS8-and it is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved coupler with its halves united and connected with eXible hose. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 -is a detail cross-section taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal plan section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the operatingsprings within the coupler. Fig. G is a detached view of the expansion-ring within the coupler. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the composition packing used in the central hole of the coupler; and Fig. 8 is a detached view of the retaining-ring used to confine said spring, ring, and packing in position. Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the coupler with the hose detached. Fig. 10 is a detail section of the hinge-joint, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a plan section of the same, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 10; and Fig. 12 is an elevation of one of the halves of the coupler detached.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several views.

The halves of the coupler A A are alike in construction and have each a central hole for the passage of steam. They are united and held together by the hinge-joint a. and the spring-clasps a. The central hole in each half of the coupler is provided with three shoulders a2, a3, and a4. Against the outer of these a2 rests the operating spiral steel spring B, against the middle one a3 rests the packcompleting the encircling of the hose.

very expansible. The springs B are designed to press the inner ends of the packings firmly together to prevent the escape of steam; but under the influence of the heat of the steam the packings will expand, and in doing so will compress the springs. The rings C are designed to meet this difficulty Being of zinc, they expand very freely, and thus supplement the act-ion of the springs, pressing the inner ends of t-he packings more and more tightly together as the press ure of the steam increases.

F F are levers pivoted between the lugs f on the coupler, having the ends of their short arms under the ends of the spring-clasps a and their long arms curving upward somewhat. It is obvious that by pressing down on the latter the clasps will be lifted and the halves of the coupler separated.

Vhen the coupler is used on railway-cars for the above-shown purpose, it will be necessary to provide some means of separating its halves automatically if the train breaks apart. I have devised the following means for such purpose: On the sides of the coupler, just below the lugs f, the lugs fare formed. Pivoted to these are levers F F, having their long arms as many times the length of their short arms as possible. The short arm of each is curved upward and passed under the end of a short arm F2 of lever F. The end of the long arm of each lever F is curved under and part way around the adjacent hose G, which connects the steam-pipe of a car with a stem of the coupler. The clamp F3 is secured to such curved part of lever F, thlus T 1e sections of this hose should be made long enough so that when it is connected with the coupler and the halves of the latter are united a line through the hose and coupler will make a downward curve. Then if cars separate IOO while a train is moving forward the sections of hose will be drawn out straight. This will depress the long arm of the levers F F and lift their short arms, which in turn Will lift the short arm of the levers F and the clasps a', and the halves of the coupler will be thus separated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A metallic steam-tight coupler made in halves detachable from each other, having a central hole for the passage of steam, corrugated stems to be inserted and secured in flexible hose, two annular composition packings of expansible material in the central hole meeting at the section of the coupler and making' a tight joint, and flat zinc rings at the opposite ends of the packings, substantially as stated.

2. In a metallic steam-tight coupler, the tivo similar parts A A, united by a hinge and clasps and detachable from each other, and having a continuous hole provided in the respective parts with the shoulders a2, a3, and a", in com bination, in its respective parts,with ihe spiral spring B, resting against the shoulder a?, the zinc expansion ring C, resting against said spring', the composition annular packing D, having` an external circular ledge resting against the shoulder u?, and the retai nin g-ri ng E, externally screwsthreaded an d screwed into internal screw-threading in the coupler until it rests against the shoulder a, substantially Aas and for the purposes specified.

3. ln a metallic steam-tight coupler, substantially as described, the lever F, pivoted between the lugs f, formed on a side of the coupler near its central section and having` the end of its short arln under the clasp a', in combination with the lever F', pivoted on the lug f', formed on the coupler immediately below the lug f, having its short arm curved upward and passed beneath the short arm of the lever F, and its long arm, near its end,

curved under and about the hose G, secured 45 on a stein of said coupler, as and for the purpose stated.

4. In a metallic steanrtight coupler, substantially as described, the combination of the clasps d', secured to and holding together the respective halves of said coupler, and the levers F F, pivoted between the lugs ff, formed on the respective halves of said coupler and having their long arms curved upward and the end of their short arms under the en ds of said clasps, as and for the purpose stated.

THOMAS M. JENKS.

'itn esses:

il. W. TRAsK, W. S. BEAUPRE. 

